Astrowives: the first ladies of space

“If you think going to the moon is hard,” said Barbara Cernan Butler, “try staying at home.”

Back in the day, Butler was married to astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon during Apollo 17, in 1972.

She was part of an elite group of wives, pioneers in their own right during the early, heady years of the space program. Now a dishy new page-turner by New York author Lily Koppel — thick with vivid descriptions of “Mad Men” era fashion, architecture and cuisine — tells their side of the story.

“The Astronaut Wives Club” cracks the shiny veneer of the “astrowives,” the women behind the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions who raised children and forged friendships while their husbands trained for space.

Last week, five wives from Koppel’s book — Cernan Butler, Sue Bean, Jeannie Bassett Robinson, Beth Williams and Harriet Eisele — joined the author and paying guests at Ouisie’s Table for a sort of free-form book-signing/reunion/tea party. Jane Moser Presents organized the party.

Nibbling on deviled eggs, tea sandwiches and pastries — the same fare the astrowives might have served or eaten 50 years ago — Koppel and the wives mingled with the crowd. Eventually, the author stood to talk about her book.

“This is a classic American story,” said Koppel. “I still can’t believe it hasn’t been told before this time.”